Thanking a philanthropist

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Hellen Mattox Young, founder of the Boone Center for the Family, receives a Friends of the Family Award at the Savvy Chic benefit. Photo by Dana Fineman/TMT

Pepperdine University’s Friends of the Family League held its fifth annual Savvy Chic event last week on Wednesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, supporting the Boone Center for the Family and its mission to promote healthy relationships and strong families.

Each year the league recognizes a person or couple who personifies the mission on which the center was founded. This year’s honoree was Helen M. Young, 90, former Pepperdine first lady, author and co-founder of the Boone Center.

Emmy Award-winning costume designer Brenda Cooper was the mistress of ceremonies for the afternoon of food, fashion and friends. This year’s event included professional hair and makeup makeovers by Neil George Salon and Sandra Dee at Umberto Salon, a silent auction and fashion show featuring pieces by LA-based designer Sue Wong and designs by Maria of Bianca Nero. Boutique vendors offered a variety of items.

Headquartered at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, the Boone Center for the Family was established in 1996 through the inspiration and support of Dr. M. Norvel and Helen Young, and endowed by Pat and Shirley Boone in 2006. The center provides practical seminars for marriage enrichment and parenting, as well as programs for churches, professionals and lay leaders. Its auxiliary, the Friends of the Family League, raises funds for the center’s operational needs.